Atlas/Austria Jack Frost Covered Hopper

[6axlepwr]

Is the Atlas/ Austria Jack Frost hopper a real car or a foobie?

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I have never seen a prototype photo of this car. I have seen a photo of the car Athearn has done with the red letters and no character holding the sugar cube.

I am not concerned whether it is a foobie or not. I am simply curious. I also have the HO version of this car from AHM. The Athearn version has an older build date than the AHM version so if this car is based on a real prototype, then the Athearn car is an earlier paint scheme and possibly the sugar company changed the paint scheme on the cars at some point and added the Jack Frost character.

Brian

[mandealco]

Hi Brian
There are so many different "Jack Frost" cars in various scales and car types, that they had to be based on something.  I eventually found this:
http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/nsrx307.jpg
Cheers
Steve
NZ

[wcfn100]

Hi Brian
There are so many different "Jack Frost" cars in various scales and car types, that they had to be based on something.  I eventually found this:
http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/nsrx307.jpg
Cheers
Steve
NZ

He's looking for one with blue "Jack Frost" lettering.

Jason

[mandealco]

You're right Jason, that's probably the photo Brian's already seen.  I should read more slowly!
Cheers
Steve

[Philip H]

There's an old Trainboard thread on this - while Jack Frost Sugar is a brand name (apparently owned twice removed by Florida Crystals) there was never a prototype for the actual car with this scheme. 

[Mark5]

Hi Brian
There are so many different "Jack Frost" cars in various scales and car types, that they had to be based on something.  I eventually found this:
http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/nsrx307.jpg
Cheers
Steve
NZ

Nice find. They probably cheaped out on the old model so they could use one color (blue).

I loved that Atlas car so much that when Athearn released this, I had to get it!

http://www.athearn.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=ATH11378

Mark

[Missaberoad]

Based on what I can find as delivered they were painted in a plain grey scheme.
Rail Goat and discussions on the MFCL & realSTMFC io groups (Search NSRX) definitely reference the "Jack Frost" scheme and a red "Quaker Sugar" scheme.
Can't find any reference confirming blue lettering, or the logo however, or anything on when they were repainted.

http://www.railgoat.railfan.net/other_cars/1private/national_sugar/jack_frost.htm
http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/displayrailway.pl?o=nsrx

They probably cheaped out on the old model so they could use one color (blue).
Mark

Based on the little I know about early pad printing, this seems like the most plausible explanation for the blue vs red...

[Missaberoad]

Interesting side note the PS built hoppers were delivered without hatches and they added their own (much smaller) hatches...

http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=nsrx338&o=nsrx

[bbussey]

I could be mistaken, but I believe the prototype three-bay covered hoppers had a red "Jack Frost" across the sides, while the airslides had the all-blue lettering.  I think Athearn released the proper scheme on their N scale model.

The the Atlas model is a classic.  I had at least two of them.

[wcfn100]

The Morning Sun XCar Color Guide has a shot of car 308 with the blue 'Jack Frost'.  Says it's from series 300-309.  This photo also has a note about being delivered w/o hatches.

The Morning Sun Vintage Freight Car Vol. 3 has a shot of 336 also in the all blue.

Jason

[Doug G.]

There are a couple variations of the Atlas car, one with a heavier-set guy and one with a skinny guy.

Doug

[wcfn100]

There are a couple variations of the Atlas car, one with a heavier-set guy and one with a skinny guy.

Doug

In the two pictures I noted, car 336 has no man on it, while car 308 has a much larger man than the Atlas model in the OP.  It also has red lettered "100% Pure" in the sign he's holding up.  Looks like red hair under the hat as well.

Jason

[6axlepwr]

Jason,

Is it this book?

https://morningsunbooks.com/products/vintage-freight-cars-1960-1980-volume-3-m-p?_pos=9&_sid=0293d17cd&_ss=r

There are 5 "X Car Color Guide books". Which Volume? This one?
https://morningsunbooks.com/products/x-car-color-guide-volume-3-grox-nymx?_pos=3&_sid=333265a22&_ss=r

Thanks. Brian

[Ed Kapuscinski]

@GonzoCRFan can probably help shed some light on this when he's done eating his way across SoCal.

[wcfn100]

Jason,

Is it this book?

https://morningsunbooks.com/products/vintage-freight-cars-1960-1980-volume-3-m-p?_pos=9&_sid=0293d17cd&_ss=r

There are 5 "X Car Color Guide books". Which Volume? This one?
https://morningsunbooks.com/products/x-car-color-guide-volume-3-grox-nymx?_pos=3&_sid=333265a22&_ss=r

Thanks. Brian

Yes, those are the two.

Jason